Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

There’s more than one way to grow a baby – UNSW Newsroom

In his 1989 book Wonderful Life, evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould famously argued that, if we could replay the tape, life on Earth would evolve to be fundamentally different each time.

Wings and flight evolved differently, and independently, in (1) pterosaurs, (2) bats, and (3) birds. George Romanes

Was he right? Convergent evolution, in which similar features evolve to perform similar functions in distantly related organisms, offers an excellent model in which to run Goulds thought experiment.

One classic example of convergent evolution is the independent evolution of wings and flight in insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats. Another is live birth (or viviparity), which has evolved independently from egg-laying more than 150 times in vertebrates (animals with backbones).

To understand how this happened, we studied the genes involved in pregnancy and live birth in six different live-bearing species. We discovered that, despite broad similarities in the anatomy and physiology involved, each species used a completely different set of genetic tools to give birth to live young.

In nearly all live-bearing vertebrates examined so far, changes to the gestational tissues and biophysical processes during pregnancy appear remarkably similar.

Some common elements of the process are:

Live birth is driven by a complex suite of morphological, physiological, and genetic changes. Modified from an image by Basile Morin, CC BY

The changes that occur during pregnancy and birthing must be mainly controlled by genetics, and we know that the expression of genes changes during pregnancy in different live-bearing animals.

However, the generality of these changes is less clear. For example, are the same genes used during pregnancy in mammals and fish? Or are similar outcomes driven by entirely different genes?

Thats what we set out to discover in our study, newly published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Queensland and James Cook University.

An animals development is controlled by its genes, its environment, and an interaction between the two.

Not every gene within an animal is always active. Genes are switched on (or expressed) when needed, and then switched off again when no longer needed.

Gene expression levels naturally vary over time as an animal interacts with the environment and undergoes physiological changes, such as those associated with pregnancy. Using a technique called transcriptomics, we can take snapshots of these changes in gene expression as they occur.

To investigate the genetic changes occurring in the uterus during pregnancy in different species, we collected samples or used existing data from six live-bearing animals: the Australian sharpnose shark, three species of Australian lizards, the gray short-tailed opossum, and the brown lab rat.

The spotted skink Niveoscincus ocellatus, sampled in our study, gives birth to live young. Charles Foster, Author provided

Sampling this wide range of animals allowed us to determine whether the same gene expression changes occur during pregnancy across species in which live birth evolved independently.

Our work is the first quantitative study into the genetic basis of live birth at such a broad evolutionary scale.

We expected to find many of the same genes used during pregnancy to support the growth and survival of embryos in each of the live-bearing species we sampled.

This hypothesis seemed logical, given the many similarities in anatomical changes during pregnancy across live-bearing vertebrates, along with qualitative findings from previous research.

Instead, we found there was no one set of live-bearing genes utilised during pregnancy across our sampled range of animals. In other words, evolution has converged on similar functions for successful pregnancy but those functions have been achieved by recruiting different groups of genes.

Despite not being what we expected, this finding also makes sense. Different animal lineages may have different toolboxes of genes to draw from, due to their unique evolutionary histories.

A genetic toolbox can be thought of as a broad class of genes that perform similar basic functions. Over the long timescales of evolution, different genes from this ancestral toolbox can be recruited to carry out the same physiological functions in different animals.

Like humans, the Australian sharpnose shark transports nutrients to developing embryos via a placenta. Camilla Whittington, Author provided

For example, developing babies require access to a supply of amino acids for successful development. In many species these amino acids are transported from the mother to the fetus across the placenta via solute carrier genes.

We identified more than 75 different solute carrier genes in the combined genetic toolbox of our study species. However, each species recruited different genes from the toolbox to transport amino acids during pregnancy.

Our findings force us to rethink the idea that the cross-species similarities in live birth are controlled by the same genetic changes.

We can also consider our results in the context of Goulds thought experiment about replaying the tape of life.

Was the evolution of live birth predictable? It depends on how you look at it.

Large-scale similarities, such as the anatomy and functions of the uterus, seem predictable. They appear to have evolved repeatedly to solve the biophysical challenges of successful pregnancy.

However, our results show this predictability does not extend to the underlying genes.

Charles Foster, Postdoctoral Research Associate, UNSW Sydney; Camilla Whittington, Senior lecturer, University of Sydney, and James Van Dyke, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, La Trobe University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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There's more than one way to grow a baby - UNSW Newsroom

Physiology

Is Your Overtraining Syndrome Really Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport? – iRunFar

Is your overtraining syndrome really relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)?

Almost a year ago, I received an email with a subject line asking almost this same question. The message was about a paper co-authored by two of my favorite exercise physiology researchers, Trent Stellingwerff and Ida A. Heikura.My interest was piqued.

Ive shared my personal struggles with overtraining syndrome on iRunFar, and its still the article I get the most emails about. Most often I hear from athletes looking for advice as they struggle with chronic fatigue.

Its hard to help because there are not a lot of satisfying answers yet. So, when another possible mechanism for why you and your running performance might be out of sorts comes along, its a good thing for us to explore.

In this article, well do just that. Well evaluate the similarities between overtraining syndrome and relative energy deficiency in sport, discuss why the similarities might lead to a misdiagnosis of overtraining syndrome, why getting a correct diagnosis is important, and what athletes and their support systems should watch for based on this new information.

Keely Henninger on her way to winning the 2022 Gorge Waterfalls 50k a few years after recovering from low energy availability and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Photo: Steven Mortinson

Overtraining syndrome (OTS) is not a verb; you cannot actively do it. Its a noun, the destination on a continuum of training stress. We need some training stress to make physiological adaptations and improve our fitness, but we get into trouble when we pair these stresses with inadequate rest.

The definitions set forth over the past decade have helped to elucidate the different stops along the overtraining continuum (2).

Overreaching is akin to positive training stress, but a little bigger. Periodically, you can utilize overreaching in a training camp or on a long weekend that, when backed up with adequate rest, can have large positive impacts on performance.

However, if you continue to overreach, without stepping off the gas, you can end up in a place of non-functional overreaching. This is where you are no longer positively adapting to the stress. If you continue to press the gas pedal, you are headed toward the destination of OTS. The difference between non-functional overreaching and OTS is the timeframe of impaired performance, with the former lasting weeks and the latter months.

The outcome of OTS is a combination of factors that decrease performance and impact overall health, including (1):

The idea of the overtraining continuum is that, as overreaching progresses to non-functional overreaching and possibly to overtraining syndrome (OTS), you have an increase in fatigue and severity of symptoms. Image: Halson, S. L., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2004). Does Overtraining Exist? Sports Medicine,34(14), 967-981. doi:10.2165/00007256-200434140-00003 (6)

First introduced by the International Olympic Committee in 2014 and further updated in 2018, relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) has gotten a lot of attention in the endurance world of late in an effort to educate athletes and their support systems about the risks of intentionally or unintentionally under fueling (3, 4).

What the introduction of RED-S did was to create a larger umbrella term that took into account the already defined female athlete triad (disordered eating, loss of normal menstruation, and bone-density issues) and added all the other ways low energy availability impacts physiological function, health, and performance, which recognized that all athletes are susceptible to RED-S regardless of gender.

The major underpinning of RED-S is chronically poor energy availability. While this is sometimes intentional (disordered eating), we want to stress that we take part in a sport where it can be hard to meet our high energy demands day after day. If you combine inadequate energy intake with high exercise energy expenditure, you have a recipe for disaster.

I reached out to friend and professional runner Keely Henninger to discuss her experience with low energy availability and RED-S that culminated in a major bone stress injury.

Keely Henninger. Photo: Luke Webster

iRunFar: After an incredible 2018 season, in 2019 you sustained a sacral stress fracture. Tell us about that experience.

Keely Henninger:I was ignoring the warning signs my body was putting out for years. My 2018 season looked good on paper, but I was constantly battling highs and lows, overtraining, and under-fueling.

When I started training for 2019, my body was still not cooperating. Id wake up extremely tired and dreaded going for a run but for a while, I pushed on. When I finally had to stop due to the sacral stress fracture, I felt relieved. I finally had a reason to stop, and my body and mind thanked me.

The injury forced me to take a holistic view of my training, to acknowledge that I had been doing a lot wrong, and reprioritize training and recovery. I wish I could say I nailed the balance as soon as my injury healed, but it took years of slowly adjusting to get to a spot where I have balance, prioritize recovery, and run for the right reasons.

iRunFar: Why do you think its hard for athletes to identify low energy availability and/or RED-S when in the throes of it?

Henninger:We are in this sport because we are extremely good at enduring pain and pushing our bodies to their limits. However, there is a level of suffering that is beneficial and a level that is not. We need to be able to recognize [the issues that arent beneficial to our health, like] changes in behavior, persistent fatigue, a lack of menstrual cycle (for those who menstruate), a lack of libido (for everyone), and a lack of morning erection (for those who should have one).

For a while losing your period was viewed as normal and a badge of honor in endurance running. We didnt view this as a warning sign that we were training too hard, but instead that we were training hard enough. As this narrative changes, I hope that more athletes will be able to identify unhealthy patterns and signals before it turns into a big-bone injury and that they will learn to slow down before they are forced to stop.

iRunFar: What do you wish you could tell the Keely of 2018 and 2019?

Henninger:You dont have to be constantly suffering to be the best runner you can be. We can feel good during workouts, have energy for a life outside of training, and fuel so that we recover and perform to our potential. This doesnt make us less of an athlete.

We suffer enough during the big races and big days out on the trails, we dont have to make our lives harder by making all aspects of training a test of attrition. If we treat ourselves with respect, then we will be able to reach our potential. If we constantly beat ourselves down and demand more, then we may break before we ever reach it.

What Keely experienced, and what so many other athletes have experienced, is not dissimilar from OTS in part because this chronic stress in this case from under-recovery spurred by inadequate energy intake also creates a disruption in biochemical, endocrine, and sex hormones.

Low energy availability can present from different root causes, including those which are unintentional or intentional (disordered eating). However, its an imbalance between dietary energy intake and the amount of energy you need daily to support normal functions and exercise. Being in a chronic state of low energy availability ultimately leads to relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) which encompasses not only the female athlete triad but all other deficits of that state regardless of gender. Image: Sim, A., & Burns, S.F. (2021). Review: questionnaires as measures for low energy availability and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) in athletes. Journal of Eating Disorders, 9. (5)

So, what are the main differences between OTS and RED-S? Unlike in OTS, RED-S has a sizable negative impact on bone health, including decreased bone mineral density and an increased risk for bone stress injuries like stress fractures and stress reactions (1).

The second difference is that OTS causes central nervous system dysfunction, while RED-S imparts that plus sex hormone dysfunction.

While OTS and RED-S share many commonalities in symptoms all but bone health because of under-recovery, they are not the same condition and shouldnt be treated as such. How do you know which path to go down when looking for answers?

Either path is a little bit of an investigation. This is because both OTS and RED-S are identified by a diagnosis of exclusion. Despite years of trying, both lack a validated universal identifier, something that says, Yes, you have OTS, or, Yes, you have RED-S.

Traditionally, for OTS this has meant ruling out any natural diseases (thyroid disease or other autoimmune conditions, celiac disease, and more), infections (Lyme disease, mononucleosis, and more), and deficiencies like anemia, and allergies. This list has now grown to rule out other dietary deficiencies, including dietary caloric restriction, unintended inadequate energy intake, and insufficient carbohydrate and/or protein intake. Essentially, you now must rule out low energy availability and/or RED-S to meet the diagnosis of exclusion for OTS (1).

For me, this was a lightbulb moment and highlights the importance of getting an accurate diagnosis early. Understanding which road to head down for appropriate recommendations and prescriptive behavior changes to heal will vary depending on if you are dealing with OTS versus RED-S, and weve been missing low energy availability and/or RED-S in this equation for a long time.

Its long been speculated that only a very small portion of individuals who have been given an OTS diagnosis actually have it, and the review that Stellingwerff and colleagues put together paints this same picture (1). This is largely because low energy availability and RED-S are newer concepts than non-functional overreaching and OTS.

Ive said it before and Ill say it again: its really hard to overtrain, but its really easy to under-recover. And for many, under-recovery likely begins with inadequate fueling. This is a great example of how new research creates new insight.

It would be easy to say that overtraining syndrome (OTS) and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) are linked by looking at this Venn diagram. However, one major difference is that RED-S is a state of chronic low energy availability due to energy intake not meeting your daily needs. While the female athlete triad overlaps with RED-S due to menstrual irregularities and poor bone health, RED-S can impact athletes regardless of gender. Image: iRunFar/Corrine Malcolm

What can you do if you are worried you might fall into one of these two camps? When battling chronic fatigue and a falloff in athletic performance, lean into your support system. Both OTS and RED-S are multifactorial and should be treated with medical, nutritional, psychological, and physiological approaches.

Additionally, one of the most critical findings from the review article was that there was a need for increased awareness among coaches, physicians, physical therapists, and other sports practitioners of the signs and symptoms of OTS and RED-S for early diagnosis and treatment.

Here are the most important points for athletes and their support system to consider:

Be Aware of Menstruation Irregularities

If you are a person who menstruates and are experiencing amenorrhea (absence of your normal cycle) or oligomenorrhea (frequent irregular cycles), there is a good chance your energy intake doesnt meet your energy expenditure.This is a good time to tag in your primary care provider and registered dietitian to evaluate hormonal disturbances and energy availability. This is most likely a result of low energy availability or RED-S, not OTS.

Watch for Bone Stress Injuries

If you have found yourself with a bone stress injury, particularly a big bone like your femur, pelvis, or sacrum (as these are less prone to straightforward overuse injuries), its again time to tag in the professionals.As we mentioned earlier, bone stress injuries are the one symptom that falls squarely in the low energy availability and RED-S camp, as they negatively impact bone mineral density.

Rule Out Natural Diseases

If you are struggling with any of the other symptoms that build off chronic fatigue and impaired performance, tagging in your primary care provider and a registered dietitian is a good first step. They can help rule out any natural diseases or infections and start to evaluate if you are matching your energy intake needs and exercise energy expenditure throughout different phases of your training cycle. This needs to include not only matching your general energy intake needs but also making sure you are taking in adequate carbohydrates and protein.

Discuss Training Levels While Recovering

While training can continue with low energy availability and RED-S, working closely with your coach and medical team to make sure that you are limiting additional stress in order to start to regain balance is important. This likely means a small scaling down of training while increasing daily caloric intake.

For non-functional overreaching or OTS, a period of complete rest is advised. This will vary greatly depending on the individual, but for non-functional overreaching, it could be weeks and for OTS this could be months to years.

This rest should be followed by a gradual rebuild that includes the use of shorter double runs rather than longer single runs to manage stress during the ramp-up to normal volume. This might include steps forward and backward and thats why the next piece is so important!

Consider Your Psychological Wellbeing

What about the psychological component? While you may lean heavily into your medical and nutritional support systems, leaning into your therapist and other supports like your coach and family are also critically important during this time.

Being injured yes, OTS and RED-S are metabolic injuries is incredibly hard on a psychological level, and having help to lean on and work through this time is critical. Your mental health is as important as your physical health.

This theoretical framework highlights the responsibilities and accountabilities of a multifactorial (medical, nutrition, psychology, and physiology) approach for athletes and their support systems to prevent, diagnose, and treat overtraining syndrome (OTS) and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Image: Stellingwerff, T., Heikura, A. I., Meeusen, R., Bermon, S., Seiler, S., Mountjoy, L. M., Burke, M. L. (2021). Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS): Shared Pathways, Symptoms and Complexities. Sports Medicine https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01491-0 (1)

Please share your experiences with overtraining syndrome or relative energy deficiency in sport. If you feel comfortable, wed love to hear about your symptoms, diagnosis process, and how you healed from these injuries. Thanks!

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Is Your Overtraining Syndrome Really Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport? - iRunFar

Physiology

ARCS San Diego 2022 Scientist of the Year Virtual Event – KPBS

Each year ARCS San Diego, a local non-profit led entirely by women, hosts a Scientist of the Year fundraiser, which honors a preeminent local scientist. This years honoree, Dr. Ardem Patapoutian, is a professor of neuroscience at Scripps Research and winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Date | Sunday, April 24 (4:00-5:15 pm PDT)

Location | Virtual Weblink

Register here! Free Event Registration required

All funds raised at this event will go towards financial awards to support ARCS Scholars who make outstanding contributions to advance science and keep America competitive on the global stage, which is the ARCS mission.

As indicated by its name Achievement Rewards for College Scientists ARCS provides financial awards to promising graduate students who are pursuing degrees in science, engineering and medical research. Since its inception in 1985, the San Diego Chapter of ARCS has given more than $11.3 million to support graduate students at four local institutions: UC San Diego, SDSU, USD, and Scripps Research.

For further information on this event and/or to register, go to: https://san-diego.arcsfoundation.org/2022-scientist-year-virtual-event

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ARCS San Diego 2022 Scientist of the Year Virtual Event - KPBS

Physiology

The inspiring women who have won the Nobel Prize – msnNOW

Ever since the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, the award has been considered one of the highest honors an individual can receive. Awards are given out each year, in the categories of physics, chemistry, "physiology or medicine," literature, peace, and economics (one per category). The Nobel Foundation describes the medal as an award given to those who ... have conferred the greatest benefit to Mankind. Since 1901, there have been more than 900 recipients of this prestigious honor, but out of those 900-plus Nobel Laureates, only 58 have been women. Thankfully, this number is rising quicker and quicker as time goes on, and more and more of the incredible women who shape our world for the better are getting the recognition they deserve.

In this gallery, lets look back on some of the wonderful women who have become Nobel Laureates.

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The inspiring women who have won the Nobel Prize - msnNOW

Physiology

Emognition dataset: emotion recognition with self-reports, facial expressions, and physiology using wearables | Scientific Data – Nature.com

Ethics statement

The study was approved by and performed in accordance with the guidelines and regulations of the Wroclaw Medical University, Poland; approval no. 149/2020. The submission to the Ethical Committee covered, among others, participant consent, research plans, recruitment strategy, data management procedures, and GDPR issues. Participants provided written informed consent, in which they declared that they (1) were informed about the study details, (2) understand what the research involves, (3) understand what their consent was needed for; (4) may refuse to participate in the research at any time during the research project; (5) had the opportunity to ask questions of the experimenter and receive answers to those questions. Finally, participants gave informed consent to participate in the research, agreed to be recorded during the study, and consented to the processing of their personal data to the extent necessary for the implementation of the research project, including sharing their psycho-physiological and behavioral data with other researchers.

The participants were recruited via a paid advertisement on Facebook. Seventy people responded to the advertisement. We have excluded ten non-Polish speaking volunteers. An additional 15 could not find a suitable date, and two did not show up for the scheduled study. As a result, we collected data from 43 participants (21 females) aged between 19 and 29 (M=22.37, SD=2.25). All participants were Polish.

The exclusion criteria were significant health problems, use of drugs and medications that might affect cardiovascular function, prior diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or BMI over 30 (classified as obesity). We asked participants to reschedule if they experienced an illness or a major negative life event. The participants were requested (1) not to drink alcohol and not to take psychoactive drugs 24hours before the study; (2) to refrain from caffeine, smoking, and taking nonprescription medications for two hours before the study; (3) to avoid vigorous exercise and eating an hour before the study. Such measures were undertaken to eliminate factors that could affect cardiovascular function.

All participants provided written informed consent and received a 50 PLN (c.a., $15) online store voucher.

We used short film clips from databases with prior evidence of reliability and validity in eliciting targeted emotions19,20,21,22,23. The source film, selected scene, and stimulus duration are provided in Table 1.

We used two types of self-assessment for manipulation checks that accounted for discrete and dimensional approaches to emotions. For the discrete approach, participants reported retrospectively, using single-item rating scales, on how much of the targeted emotions they had experienced while watching the film clips21. The questionnaire was filled in electronically with a tablet, see Fig.1a. It included nine items corresponding to the selected stimuli. Each emotion-related scale ranged from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely). The questionnaire was modeled after the instruments used in previous studies with similar methodology24,25,26,27.

The English version of the self-reports used in the study: (a)questionnaire for discrete emotions; (b)questionnaire for valence, arousal, and motivation. The original Polish version can be found in the Supp. Mat. Fig 3.

For the dimensional approach, participants reported retrospectively, using single-item rating scales, on how much valence, arousal, and motivation they experienced while watching the film clips. The 3-dimensional emotional self-report was collected with the Self-Assessment Manikin SAM28. The SAM is a validated nonverbal visual assessment developed to measure affective responses. Participants reported felt emotions using a graphical scale ranging from 1 (a very sad figure) to 9 (a very happy figure) for valence, Fig.1b; and from 1 (a calm figure) to 9 (an agitated figure) for arousal, Fig.1b. We also asked participants to report their motivational tendency using a validated graphical scale modeled after the SAM29, i.e., whether they felt the urge to avoid or approach while watching the film clips, from 1 (figure leaning backward) to 9 (figure leaning forward)30, Fig.1b. The English versions of the self-reports used in the study are illustrated in Fig.1.

The behavioral and physiological signals were gathered using three wearable devices and a smartphone:

An EEG headband Muse 2 equipped with four EEG electrodes (AF7, AF8, TP9, and TP10), accelerometer (ACC), and gyroscope (GYRO). The data was transmitted to a smartphone in real-time using the Mind Monitor (https://mind-monitor.com) application. At the end of each day, data from the smartphone was transferred to the secure disk;

A wristband Empatica E4 monitoring blood volume pulse (BVP), interbeat interval (IBI), electrodermal activity (EDA), acceleration, and skin temperature (SKT). The Empatica E4 was mounted on the participants dominant hand. The device was connected wirelessly via Bluetooth to the tablet using a custom-made Android application with Empatica E4 link SDK module31. The data was streamed in real-time to the tablet and after the study to the secure server. The signals obtained with the Empatica E4 were synchronized with the stimuli presented on the tablet;

A smartwatch Samsung Galaxy Watch SM-R810 providing heart rate (HR), peak-to-peak interval (PPI), raw BVP the amount of reflected LED light, ACC, GYRO, and rotation data. A custom Tizen application was developed and installed on the watch to collect and store data locally. At the end of each day, data was downloaded to the secure disk;

A smartphone Samsung Galaxy S20+5G recording participants upper-body head, chest, and hands. The footage also included a small mirror reflecting the tablet screen to enable later synchronization with stimuli. At the end of each day, recordings were moved to the encrypted offline disk.

The Muse 2 has lower reliability than medical devices but sufficient for nonclinical trial settings32. It has been successfully used to observe and quantify event-related brain potentials33, as well as to recognize emotions34. The Empatica E4 has been compared with a medical electrocardiograph (ECG), and proved to be a practical and valid tool for studies on HR and heart rate variability (HRV) in stationary conditions35. It was also likewise effective as the Biopac MP150 in the emotion recognition task36. Moreover, we have used the Empatica E4 for intense emotion detection with promising results in a field study37,38. The Samsung Watch devices were successfully utilized (1) to track the atrial fibrillation with an ECG patch as a reference39, and (2) to assess the sleep quality with a medically approved actigraphy device as a baseline40. Moreover, Samsung Watch 3 performed well in detecting intense emotions41.

Additionally, a 10.4-inch tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 was used to guide participants through the study. A dedicated application was developed to instruct the participants, present stimuli, collect self-assessments, as well as gather Empatica E4 signals, and synchronize them with the stimuli.

The sampling rate of the collected signals is provided in Table2. The devices and the experimental stand are illustrated in Fig.2.

Devices used to gather the physiological data and the experimental stand.

The study was conducted between the 16th of July and the 4th of August, 2020. It took place in the UX Wro Lab - a laboratory at the Wrocaw University of Science and Technology. Upon arrival, participants were informed about the experimental procedure, Fig.3. They then signed the written consent. The researcher applied the devices approximately five minutes before the experiment so that the participants could get familiar with them. It also enabled a proper skin temperature measurement. From this stage until the end of the experiment, the physiological signals were recorded. Next, participants listened to instructions about the control questionnaire and self-assessments. The participants filled out the control questionnaire about their activity before the experiment, e.g., time since the last meal or physical activity and wake-up time. Their responses are part of the dataset.

The experiment procedure.

The participants were asked to avoid unnecessary actions or movements (e.g., swinging on the chair) and not to cover their faces. They were also informed that they could skip any film clip or quit the experiment at any moment. Once the procedure was clear to the participants, they were left alone in the room but could ask the researcher for help anytime. For the baseline, participants watched dots and lines on a black screen for 5minutes (physiological baseline) and reported current emotions (emotional baseline) using discrete and dimensional measures. The main part of the experiment consisted of ten iterations of (1) a 2-minute washout clip (dots and lines), (2) the emotional film clip, and (3) two self-assessments, see Fig.3. The order of film clips was counterbalanced using a Latin square, i.e., we randomized clips for the first participant and then shifted by one film clip for each next participant so that the first film clip was placed as the last one.

After the experiment, participants provided information about which movies they had seen before the study and other remarks about the experiment. Concluding the procedure, participants received the voucher. The whole experiment lasted about 50minutes, depending on the time spent on the questionnaires.

Empatica E4 was synchronized with the stimuli out-of-the-box using a custom application and Empatica E4 SDK. Samsung Watch and Muse 2 devices were synchronized using accelerometer signals. All three devices were placed on the table, which was then hit with a fist. The first peak in the ACC signal was used to find the time shift between the devices, Fig.4. All times were synchronized to the Empatica E4 time.

The time difference between the devices used in the study identified by recording the ACC signal when devices were moved according to the synchronization procedure.

Each device stored data in a different format and structure. We unified the data to JSON format and divided the experiment into segments covering washouts, film clips, and self-assessment separately. We provide the raw recordings from all used devices. Additionally, we performed further preprocessing for some devices/data and provide it alongside the raw data.

For EEG, the raw signal represents the signal filtered with a 50Hz notch frequency filter, which is a standard procedure to remove interference caused by power lines. Besides the raw EEG, the Mind Monitor application provides the absolute band power for each channel and five standard frequency ranges (i.e., delta to gamma, see Table2). According to the Mind Monitor documentation, these are obtained by (1) using a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to compute the power spectral density (PSD) for frequencies in each channel, (2) summing the PSDs over a frequency range, and (3) taking the logarithm of the sum, to get the result in Bels (B). The Mind Monitor documentation presents details https://mind-monitor.com.

The processing of BVP signal from the Samsung Watch PPG sensor consisted of subtracting the mean component, eight-level decomposition using Coiflet1 wavelet transform, and then reconstructing it by the inverse wavelet transform based only on the second and third levels. Amplitude fluctuations were reduced by dividing the middle value of the signal by the standard deviation of a one second long sliding window with an odd number of samples. The final step was signal normalization to the range of [1,1].

The upper-body recordings were processed with the OpenFace toolkit42,43,44 (version 2.2.0, default parameters) and Quantum Sense software (Research Edition 2017, Quantum CX, Poland). The OpenFace library provides facial landmark points and action units values, whereas Quantum Sense recognizes basic emotions (neutral, anger, disgust, happiness, sadness, surprise) and head pose.

Some parts of the signals were of lower quality due to the participants movement or improper mounting. For example, the quality of EEG signal can be investigated using Horse Shoe Indicator (HSI) values provided by the device, which represent how well the electrodes fit the participants head. For video clips, OpenFace provides information about detected faces with their head pose per one frame. We have not removed low-quality signals so that users of the dataset can decide how to deal with them. Any data-related problems that we identified are included in the data_completeness.csv file.

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Emognition dataset: emotion recognition with self-reports, facial expressions, and physiology using wearables | Scientific Data - Nature.com

Physiology

Proteins in Saliva Could Aid in COVID-19 Detection and Predict Severe Illness – University of Utah Health Sciences

Apr 05, 2022 3:00 PM

Author: Julie Kiefer, julie.kiefer@hsc.utah.edu

Reprinted with permission from the American Physiological Society.

Researchers have identified a family of proteins that is significantly elevated in the saliva of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The proteins, known as ephrin ligands, could potentially serve as a biomarker to help doctors identify patients who are at risk for serious illness.

Ephrins are detectable in saliva samples and could serve as adjunct markersto monitor COVID-19 disease progression, said study author Erika Egal, DVM, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Patrice Mimche, PhD, in the Department of Pathology at University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City. We can collect saliva without harm or discomfort for most patients, which can reveal patient responses to COVID-19 and potentially guide care.

Egal presented the findings at the American Physiological Society annual meeting during the Experimental Biology (EB) 2022 meeting, held in Philadelphia April 25.

For the study, researchers analyzed saliva samples collected from patients admitted to the University of Utah Hospital emergency department with respiratory symptoms. Sixty-seven of the patients tested positive for COVID-19 while 64 patients did not. They found that the presence of ephrin ligands in saliva was strongly associated with the diagnosis of severe COVID-19.

Researchers said the study findings could help shed light on the biological processes involved in severe reactions to COVID-19 infection. Previous studies suggest ephrins play a role in injury and inflammation. The scientists say more research is needed to determine whether ephrin concentrations are linked with a higher likelihood of hospitalization, critical illness or death. In addition, as new viral variants emerge, it can be difficult to tell whether existing COVID-19 tests are able to accurately detect infections involving new variants. Looking for ephrins in saliva could offer a simple, non-invasive way to provide corroborating evidence when there is inconsistency between test results and the clinical picture, Egal said.

Saliva is packed with information beyond detecting the COVID-19 infection itself, said Mimche. We demonstrate that immune cells, cytokines and soluble proteins can be reliably measured from saliva samples. Our findings provide a starting point for investigations looking into causal pathways between infection and bad medical outcomes.

The research was overseen by Mimche in collaboration with Theodore Liou, MD and My N. Helms, PhD, from the Department of Internal Medicine at University of Utah Health, as part of a multidisciplinary project to better understand the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and how it causes serious COVID-19 infections.

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About Experimental Biology 2022

Experimental Biology (EB) is the annual meeting of five scientific societies bringing together thousands of scientists and 25 guest societies in one interdisciplinary community. With a mission to share the newest research findings shaping clinical advances, EB offers an unparalleled opportunity to tap into the latest research in anatomy, biochemistry, molecular biology, investigative pathology, pharmacology and physiology.The Experimental Biology 2022 meeting will be held April 25 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.www.experimentalbiology.org#expbio

About the American Physiological Society (APS)

Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.http://www.physiology.org

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Proteins in Saliva Could Aid in COVID-19 Detection and Predict Severe Illness - University of Utah Health Sciences

Physiology

When coronary imaging and physiology are discordant, how best to manage coronary lesions? An appraisal of the clinical evidence – DocWire News

This article was originally published here

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2022 Apr 4. doi: 10.1002/ccd.30186. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Discordant physiology and anatomy may occur when nonsevere angiographic stenosis has positive physiology as well as the opposite situation.

AIM: To underline the reasons behind the discrepancy in physiology and anatomy and to summarize the information that coronary imaging may add to physiology.

METHODS: A review of the published literature on physiology and intravascular imaging assessment of intermediate lesions was carried out.

RESULTS: The limitations of angiography, the possibility of an underlying diffuse disease, the presence of a grey zone in both techniques, the amount of myocardial mass that subtends the stenosis, and plaque vulnerability may play a role in such discrepancy. Intracoronary imaging has a poor diagnostic accuracy compared to physiology. However, it may add information about plaque vulnerability that might be useful in deciding whether to treat or not a certain lesion.

CONCLUSIONS: Coronary revascularization is recommended for patients with ischemia based on physiology. Intracoronary imaging adds information on plaque vulnerability and can help on the decision whether to revascularize or not a lesion.

PMID:35373887 | DOI:10.1002/ccd.30186

Excerpt from:
When coronary imaging and physiology are discordant, how best to manage coronary lesions? An appraisal of the clinical evidence - DocWire News

Physiology

University Lecturer, Nutrition, Nutritional Physiology job with UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI | 288689 – Times Higher Education

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry invites applications for the position of

UNIVERSITY LECTURER in HUMAN NUTRITION (NUTRITIONAL PHYSIOLOGY)

starting on 1.9.2022 or by mutual agreement.

The University of Helsinki is the largest university in Finland, which seeks solutions for global challenges and creates new ways of thinking for the best of humanity. We are one of the best multidisciplinary universities in the world and our community of c. 8 000 employees offers wide ranging career development opportunities in teaching and research as well as in specialist and other support positions. http://www.helsinki.fi/en

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry is located on the Viikki campus. The mission of the faculty is to promote the sustainable use of renewable natural resources through scientific research and research-based teaching. We focus on agricultural and forest sciences, food and nutrition, microbiology, as well as on economics and management. We cover the full natural resource chain from farm to fork, the entire field of forest sciences from soil chemistry to marketing, as well as the environmental effects of related activities. Graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry are versatile experts in biosciences and business, able to meet the needs of both the business sector and society at large. http://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry

The Department of Food and Nutrition is one of the six units of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The department provides research based education at higher level in Finland and is responsible for BSc and MSc Programmes in Food Sciences and MSc Programme in Human Nutrition and Food-Related Behaviour. The department is also responsible for the teaching of chemistry at the faculty. The connections to food industry are active and good.

There are ca 80 research and teaching staff at the department, some of whom work on external funding. In Food Sciences, yearly around 60 new undergraduates start in the BSc programmes and 90 in the MSc programmes. In total 40 new students start annually in the Human Nutrition and Food Related Behaviour Masters programme. Teaching is also given in the Molecular Biosciences BSc programme. The number of PhD students in the department is ca 30.www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-agriculture-and-forestry/research/food-and...

THE POSITION OF UNIVERSITY LECTURER in HUMAN NUTRITION

The field of the position is Nutrition (Nutritional Physiology). The position requires command of the physiological and molecular mechanisms of diet in maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases. The appointee should possess expertise in the methods of experimental nutrition research. The duties of the university lecturer include substance-related teaching for both the Masters programme in Human Nutrition and Food-Related Behaviour and the Bachelors programmes at the Viikki campus (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry/teaching-and...), supervision of theses, participation in doctoral training, and development of teaching in the field of the position together with the other academic staff. To successfully attend to the duties of the position, the appointee should be active in research within the field.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE POSITION

According to the Regulations of the University of Helsinki, an appointee to the position of university lecturer shall hold an applicable doctoral degree and be able to provide high-quality teaching based on research and to supervise theses and dissertations. When assessing the qualifications of applicants for the position of university lecturer attention shall be paid to scientific publications and other research results of academic value, teaching experience and pedagogical training, the ability to produce learning material, other teaching merits and, if necessary, a teaching demonstration.

To successfully attend to the duties of the position, appointees must have excellent English language skills. According to the University Decree, university lecturers must also be fluent in the Finnish language. In addition, university lecturers should be proficient if Swedish. Foreign citizens, non-native Finnish citizens or citizens who have not been educated in the Finnish or Swedish language may be exempted from this requirement without a separate application. Although the languages of instruction are English and Finnish, applicants without Finnish language competence are warmly encouraged to apply. It is however, expected that the appointee will acquire sufficient Finnish language skills to teach courses and perform administrative duties within three years after her/his appointment. Sufficient language skills required are at least level 4 based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages with 6 levels https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/language-centre/language-skill-level-descrip.... Support for language studies is offered.

WHAT WE OFFER

We offer an interesting opportunity to work in a diverse research environment. At the faculty you will carry out research-based teaching at the highest level in the field in Finland and have the opportunity to take part in internationally valued, first-class research activities. The position is also an opportunity to develop your own professional skills in a multidisciplinary work community. Your work will be supported by the research and teaching staff of the department and the faculty as well as the administrative and technical staff at Viikki campus.

The salary will be based on levels 5-7 of the requirements level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal work performance. Monthly gross salary for a university lecturer varies between 3 400 and 5 000 euros depending on the appointees qualifications and experience. Occupational health care services and standard Finnish pension benefits are provided for University employees. There is a six-month trial period for the position.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are requested to enclose with their applications a SINGLE PDF file that includes the following documents in English:

Applications with the above attachments must be submitted in a single PDF file, which is named: nutritionphysiology_lastname_firstname

Other attachments are not required. The candidate profile of the recruitment system does not need to be filled in with the information that is already in the application attachment. However, please fill in the questionnaire in the system.

For more detailed instructions, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-agriculture-and-forestry/about-us/wor...

External applicants: Please submit your application using the University of Helsinki Recruitment System via the link Apply for the position.

Internal applicants: Applicants who are employees of the University of Helsinki are requested to leave their application via SAP Fiori at https://msap.sap.helsinki.fi (choose Recruitment > Job Postings)

The deadline for applications is 25.4.2022.

More about working at the University of Helsinkihttps://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers

Why Finland is a great place to live and work https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/why-finland

The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants from a variety of genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and minorities.

Due date

25.04.2022 23:59 EEST

Link:
University Lecturer, Nutrition, Nutritional Physiology job with UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI | 288689 - Times Higher Education

Physiology

Study demonstrates the benefits of strawberry extract consumption in delaying the production of Alzheimer’s-associated beta-amyloid protein in a…

Research focused on the bioactive components of the strawberry variety Romina has shown the ability of this food to delay -amyloid protein-induced paralysis, reduce amyloid- aggregation and prevent oxidative stress in the experimental model Caenorhabditis elegans.

In addition, the study verified the richness of the strawberry extract used in the study in terms of its content in phenolic compounds (mainly ellagic acid and pelargonidin-3-glucoside) and minerals (K, Mg, P and Ca).

The Romina strawberry variety stands out for its high adaptability to non-fumigated soils and open field cultivation in climatic conditions from the Adriatic to central-northern Europe and for its resistance to diseases, in addition to being recognized for its nutritional quality and early ripening.

The authors of the study point out that, despite the health benefits of strawberry intake, information on the relationship of this fruit with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, is limited.

The research was led by the following authors: Mara D. Navarro-Hortal, Jose M. Romero-Mrquez y Jose L. Quiles (Department of Physiology, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology ''Jos Mataix", Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada), Adelaida Esteban-Muoz (Department of Nutrition and Bromatology, University of Granada), Cristina Sanchez-Gonzalez, Juan Llopis and Lorenzo Rivas-Garca (Department of Physiology, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology ''Jos Mataix", Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada; Centro de Investigacin Deporte y Salud), Danila Cianciosi (Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University), Francesca Giampieri and Maurizio Battino (Department of Clinical Sciences, Universit Politecnica delle Marche) Sandra Sumalla-Cano (Food, Nutritional Biochemistry and Health Research Group, European University of the Atlantic).

The full article is available in the following link.

Case study

People

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa cv. Romina) methanolic extract attenuates Alzheimers beta amyloid production and oxidative stress by SKN-1/NRF and DAF-16/FOXO mediated mechanisms in C. elegans

1-Oct-2021

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Originally posted here:
Study demonstrates the benefits of strawberry extract consumption in delaying the production of Alzheimer's-associated beta-amyloid protein in a...

Physiology

Provost Tammy Evetovich named interim chancellor of UW-Platteville – University of Wisconsin System

Evetovich

MADISON, Wis.University of Wisconsin System Interim President Michael J. Falbo today named Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Tammy Evetovich as interim Chancellor of UW-Platteville. Evetovich will begin that position June 1.

Evetovich replaces Dennis J. Shields, who is departing to become President of the Southern University System and Chancellor of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge. Shields has been the Chancellor at UW-Platteville since 2010.

We will miss Chancellor Shields, who has been a true asset to UW-Platteville, but I am confident in Provost Evetovich and the universitys leadership team, Falbo said.

Evetovich has served as the provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at UW-Platteville since June 2020. During this time, she led the universitys transition to alternative learning methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded an academic strategic plan that guides the university as it continues to provide high-quality education.

I am honored and humbled to carry on the rich legacy at UW-Platteville as interim chancellor, Evetovich said. From my first interactions with students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I quickly learned how special this place is and admired the deep commitment to learning so valued by the entire UW-Platteville community. Our hands-on approach to education has contributed greatly to strong student outcomes and makes our graduates valuable additions to the workforce. I look forward to continuing that pioneer attitude and creating momentum towards building even more student-focused initiatives.

Prior to arriving in southwest Wisconsin, Evetovich served more than 20 years in a variety of leadership roles at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. She was Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences and a department chair and professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Sport. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology and masters degree and Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of NebraskaLincoln.

Download a high-resolution photo.

The University of Wisconsin System serves approximately 165,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsins talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree with a median salary of more than $66,000. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System universities also contribute to the richness of Wisconsins culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.

Continued here:
Provost Tammy Evetovich named interim chancellor of UW-Platteville - University of Wisconsin System